We caught up with the brilliant and insightful REY Carrie Bezler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
REY , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was my first solo exhibit in Germany where I debuted my Sea Creatures series at “Ruckkehr zum Meer” or “Return to the Sea” in 2022. The project was important for me because it highlighted the current state of our oceans through my art and also my personal journey from living in Germany and the process of returning back to my home state of California. The exhibit was meant to educate the public to the numerous issues affecting our oceans, including especially overfishing. I was inspired by the film “Seaspiracy” from filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, which highlighted in detail what is happening in our seas and what we can do to help. I was deeply touched by this film and being a surfer and lifelong ocean lover, I knew I wanted to use my art to try to help create awareness around these issues. The creation of the Sea Creatures series was a meditative journey with pastels to create some of my favorite species and the beginning of my art journey in Germany. Using photographs from amazing photographers, I hoped to bring light and personality (and names) to these underwater dwellers, in hopes that people might find more compassion in their hearts for their individual circumstances. By making what is under the water more accessible, I hoped that people could see life from their perspective and hoped that this alone might help people become more aware of how their daily choices affect every living being on earth and especially those in our seas.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a creative spirit and doing art. Having had some formal training, my driving creative force comes from my genes and my neurodivergence. My dad is an amazing artist and one of the most powerful inspirations for me to keep pursuing and doing my art. For me, the most meaningful art is that which conveys a message and serves a purpose for creating a healthier planet. In the past, I’ve helped organize paddle outs against proposed oil projects using my art as a branding tool, group art shows to support environmental groups and solo exhibits that inspire change. My art is focused primarily around the ocean and other themes I feel are important for helping our planet and oceans heal. I do mostly original art pieces in oil, pastel, gouache, collage, photography and assemblage, but also have limited edition prints available from selected works. Success for me is not looking at the bottom line, what sells or the number of followers I have, but whether or not the message I want to deliver is clear and who I can inspire to change their lives and the lives around them for the better of the planet and our ocean family.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the creative process. I love finding inspiration in nature, being in the water, walking along the beach collecting or finding out new and interesting facts about particular species. For me, I see life through a constant lens of canvases, photo landscapes, artifacts or music. Discovering the internal process of a particular piece or laying out a design and starting to paint is all at once exciting, intriguing and slightly nerve-racking. I know that if I don’t have the answers right away, I trust in the process and know that the right answers will show themselves eventually. Art for me is like life’s meditation and finding the inspiration to start something new is like being enlightened on a daily basis.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
For me as an artist, there isn’t always a clear path forward. Sometimes on the journey I feel the need to take time to reflect in order to recharge and reinvigorate letting my creativity flow. This can be many years spent doing almost nothing or many years between working on any particular project. From experience, I know that staying the course and letting time and space do it’s magic, I will either return and finish the project with great results or let it go. Both are fine. However, some of my favorite pieces are the ones that started in one part of the world and were finished many years later in another corner of the globe. These pieces to me demonstrate my resilience and trust in the creative process. While living in Germany, it took me many years to return to a daily art practice. Living in a foreign culture and being land locked, was a hard experience for me, but at the same time one I had asked the universe for. Eventually, that return and release of creativity came and I was able to expand upon my previous messages- even being so far removed from the ocean. It came pouring out of my heart through my art in a way that was so clear and relevant. I had been through a difficult time, but found purpose once again and was eventually able to return mentally and physically to the sea through my art. This experience demonstrated to me how our negative experiences can be transformational allowing us to find deeper meaning and resilience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reysartspace.com
- Instagram: @reysartspace
- Linkedin: Carrie REY Bezler
- Youtube: Sting Rey @CarrieBezler
